Programs for the operation of field devices, such as FieldCare, are known from the prior art. FieldCare, for instance, runs on a computer, such as a laptop, and uses one or more device type managers (DTMs) to operate a field device. To this end, a DTM that is specific for the field device can be provided, said DTM describing the functions of a particular field device. Further to this, a COM-DTM can also be provided which is used to communicate with the field device as defined in the specific fieldbus protocol which the field device has.
Nowadays, field devices have communication interfaces to be able to communicate over a fieldbus using a specific protocol. Examples of such types of fieldbus protocols include HART, FoundationFieldbus or Profibus. Field devices usually only have one protocol by means of which they can be operated. In such cases, in particular, there is often only one communication stack in the field device by means of said communication stack the field device can communicate. A communication connection is then always established by means of the fieldbus protocol in question, irrespective of whether the connection is via the fieldbus interface or a service interface of the field device. If, for example, communication takes place via the service interface of the field device, the corresponding fieldbus commands can be tunneled through the protocol of the communication interface.
Operation encompasses measures for the commissioning, diagnostics and maintenance of a field device, for instance. For this purpose, data must be read out of the field device and visualized, for instance. Furthermore it may also be necessary to change parameters of the field device.
Currently, however, this is only possible if appropriate DTMs, as mentioned above, or other drivers, particularly protocol drivers, for the field device are available in the operating device itself.
In addition, the aforementioned communication stack is often intermeshed with the firmware or another part of a software application used to operate the field device, such as the firmware, such that it is hardly feasible to replace or add to the communication stack.